Dutton adopts Ethiopian orphan

Fallbrook High School graduate John Dutton and his wife have adopted a ten-year-old boy from Ethiopia.

John and Terina Dutton returned from Ethiopia June 12 with Miki. The adoption was finalized June 7.

Dutton was the quarterback on the Fallbrook High School football team prior to his 1993 graduation and starred for the University of Nevada before entering professional football. Although he did not land a job in the National Football League, he has played for two teams in the Arena Football League over the past eight years and has been the quarterback of the Colorado Crush for the past five seasons.

The Arena Football League plays a spring schedule, but the Crush had a bye week when Dutton traveled to Ethiopia. “It worked out perfect,” he said.

While John Dutton traveled to Ethiopia and back between games, Terina Dutton left prior to her husband’s game in Utah. “She went out and tried to spend a little bit more time with the kid and the people we know back there,” John Dutton said.

John and Terina Dutton now live in Denver. They attend Colorado Community Church, and John Dutton has founded the Dutton Family Foundation which promotes charitable causes in Denver and elsewhere, including overseas.

The foundation was initially created for local causes. “It’s really allowed us to venture out and take on this orphanage,” John Dutton said.

Through the foundation and the church, the Duttons began partnering with an orphanage in Ethiopia. The Duttons had made a previous visit to the orphanage. “We just show our support by being there,” John Dutton said.

The Duttons first learned of the orphanage through the church. “It’s been a good partnership,” John Dutton said. “It’s worked out great.”

The first visit to Ethiopia took place in July 2006. The purpose of the trip was to build relationships between the foundation, the church, and the orphanage. “We got to know them,” John Dutton said.

Dutton added that the visitors also began to know the children in the orphanage. “You just get to know them personally,” he said.

John and Terina Dutton gravitated to Miki. “He just stood out in his leadership and work ethic there. He’s just a great kid,” John Dutton said.

The Duttons began thinking of adoption. “It was a tough decision,” John Dutton said. “You can’t bring them all home.”

They began the adoption process in September 2006. “God really put it in our heart to adopt,” John Dutton said.

Miki is the Duttons’ third child. Zachary is now five and Drew is now two.

The orphanage is in Holeta, which is about an hour from the Ethiopian capitol of Addis Ababa. Miki had been in the orphanage for two years and had previously been on the streets. John Dutton noted that he saw several Ethiopian orphans on the streets during his visit. “It’s really hard to see those kids like that,” Dutton said.

Miki has an older brother, but that brother is working and was unable to take care of Miki. “He was just trying to survive,” John Dutton said of Miki.

While Miki will be welcome at the Dutton residence, John Dutton hopes that someday his adopted son will put his American experience to use in his own country. “Hopefully he’ll make a difference when he’s older in his own country by being here,” Dutton said.

At this point Miki speaks limited English. “That’s definitely the barrier,” John Dutton said. “He’s very, very bright and he’s picking it up.”

The Crush reached the second round of the Arena Football League playoffs before a loss to San Jose and Dutton has accepted an off-season position as a College of the Siskiyous assistant football coach, but the Duttons plan to return to Ethiopia in December. “There are so many kids out there,” John Dutton said.

The Dutton Family Foundation will encourage additional families to adopt orphans. “We can definitely steer them in the right direction if they’re interested in it,” John Dutton said.